Dream World
by Electric Sparkle
Summary: AU "The only way out of the Dream World, is to accept that you are in it." MassieDerrick, MassiePlovert.
1. Trailer

**Dream World**

_Ill take the quiet life, a handshake of carbon monoxide_

_No alarms and no surprises, no alarms and no surprises_

_No alarms and no surprises_

_Silent, silent_

-"No Surprises" Radiohead

_**She was accepted on a fluke.**_

"I like your purse."

"Hm."

"Do you want to come sit with us?"

_**They mistook her absentmindedness for something else entirely.**_

"So are you coming to my house for the sleepover?"

"…"

"MASSIE?"

"Sorry, I wasn't listening."

"For the love of Gawd!"

_**They decided she was one of them, though it was painfully obvious to everyone else she was their opposite.**_

"You are now an official member of The Pretty Committee."

"Um. Okay."

_**She was oblivious to the drama around her.**_

"Oh my gawd! Massie did you just see what happened? You've been sitting here the whole time right?"

"Uh, yeah. Wait. What happened?"

"Derrick and Plovert got into a fight!"

"Why?"

"Can't you see? Gawd. Start paying more attention. They were fighting over you and you couldn't even be bothered to look up from your book. You always do this. You didn't even realize that Alicia and Cam broke up!"

_**But when one of her friends is in danger, will she be able to come out of her dream world?**_

"HELP!"

"You might as well stop screaming. No one knows where you are. No ones coming for you."

"Massie knows. She could come."

"She is so far gone. She wouldn't bother. Just give up now. No point in making it worse for yourself."

_**Massie Block**_

"Everyone thinks I'm someone I'm not. They just need to lay off!"

"Okay. So what do you want to do about that?"

_**Claire Lyons**_

"You're living in a dream world. You need to get back to reality. ASAP."

_**Alicia Rivera **_

"Why did you even let her be one of us in the first place? She always has her head in the clouds."

_**Kristen Gregory**_

"Have you ever skipped class?"

"No."

"Well there's a first time for everything."

_**Dylan Block**_

"What did you do today, Mass?"

"I think I got accepted into a sorority or something. Like the Pretties or something."

"OH MY GOD! You're in The Pretty Committee?"

_**Derrick Harrington**_

"What are you reading?"

"Franny and Zooey."

"Salinger, right?"

"Wow. I didn't think a jock like you would know that."

_**Josh Hotz**_

"You're Massie's sister? You're like a year younger than us right?"

"Yeah."

"Okay. Cool."

_**Chris Plovert**_

"She never notices me."

_**Kemp Hurley**_

"What's that chick's deal? She's hot, but she is always reading and she barely ever talks."

_**Cam Fisher**_

"Alicia, I don't know what's gotten into you lately, but I think we need some time away from each other."

"You are breaking up with ME?"

_**Dream World.**_

Coming to a computer screen near you.

Th_e only way out of the Dream World, is to accept that you are in it._


	2. No Sunlight

**Chapter One**

_With every year that came to pass._

_More clouds appeared till the sky went black._

_And there was no sunlight, no sunlight._

_And there was no sunlight, no sunlight._

_Anymore..._

"_No Sunlight" Death Cab for Cutie_

_Thirsty_. Her throat felt dusty and dry. There were only two minutes left in the period, but they were the longest two minutes of Massie's life. She crossed her legs, uncrossed them, them recrossed them. She couldn't focus.

Finally the bell. She grabbed her book and bag and dashed out of class, ahead of the slow moving herd. Massie sprinted down the hall and round the corner, crashing into a boy walking the opposite direction. Once he had helped her up off the floor she saw that he had wavy, blonde hair and brown eyes. Massie muttered an apology and rushed to her locker.

435, 436, 437, 438. There was her locker. She was worried she wouldn't be able to find it since it was the first day of school, but she had written it down on her hand along with the combination in preparation for this. Once the lock clicked open, she tossed the cold metal door open and threw her books in and took her lunch out.

Water. She reached inside of her wrinkled brown sack and pulled out a bottle of Fiji water. After a long drink, she capped it and walked into the lunchroom. No friendly faces.

A small round table marked #17 was empty. She tossed her lunch on the table and pulled a dog eared copy of "On the Road" out of her bag. Massie flipped through the book until where she was at the spot she had left off at.

Massie was so immersed in her book, she didn't notice the three girls who paused at her table, then gracefully parked themselves in the seats next to her.

"I like your purse." The dark haired girl gestured towards the buttery leather messenger bag that was resting at Massie's side.

Massie didn't look up from her book. "Hm."

"Do you like speak? Or do you just like read?" The platinum blonde raised one immaculately groomed eyes brow at Massie.

"I can speak." Massie kept reading.

The brunette glanced over at the two blondes and gave them a quick nod. "Okay. I'm Alicia, and this is Claire and Kristen. Do you want to come sit with us?"

Massie paused. She was supposed to make friends. She could find out what happened to Sal Paradise after school. "Sure."

Massie stuck her book back into her bag, and lunch in hand, followed the three over to their adjacent table.

"Is your bag a Mulberry?" The girl who had said her name was Alicia looked expectantly at Massie. Massie stared blankly back at her.

"What's a Mulberry?" Massie asked, sending the three into a fit of giggles.

"So what's your name? I don't think you said it before." The girl with the wavy blonde hair spoke for the first time. Massie vaguely remembered her as being identified as Kristen.

"Massie." She mumbled and pulled out her all natural soy chips.

"What are those?" Claire wrinkled her nose at Massie chips.

"Soy. My mom is into healthy foods." Massie explained.

The two blondes exchanged glances with Alicia and giggled again.

Alicia composed her self and turned her attention to Massie. "Your mom packs your lunches?"

"Yeah. I don't like waking up early." Massie shut the Ziploc bag. These girls were kind of weird. But at least they were talking to her.

The three just sat there, like there was nothing left to say now that they had exhausted the subjects of purses and lunches. But they were saved by several loud boys coming up to their table.

"Hey!" A boy with messy brown hair and two different colored eyes squeezed in between Claire and Alicia. "Did you miss me?"

Alicia leaned in and kissed him. "Of course I did."

"PDA, much?" Claire scoffed.

"God. Way to be a prude Claire." Kristen rolled her eyes at the other blonde, causing Claire to go bright red and duck her head.

"Oh. I'm so rude. Massie, this is Cam. My boyfriend. That's Derrick, Chris, Josh, and Kemp." Alicia gestured towards the different boys who were settling down at the table.

"Hey, you look familiar." A blonde boy sat in the empty space between Massie and Kristen.

"You guys know each other?" Claire looked skeptical.

"No." Massie looked at the blonde boy who was identified as Derrick with utter confusion written all over her face.

"I think you crashed into me in the hallway earlier." Derrick grinned at her.

"Oh. Sorry." Massie gave him a blank look then turned away.

"So you're new?" A boy with short, dark blonde hair asked her. Alicia said his name was Charlie or something. Chris. That was it.

"Uh, yeah. I just transferred." Massie explained.

"Where did you used to go to schoo-" Chris was cut off by the ringing of the bell, signifying the end of lunch period.

"I have to go. I have Art History next and I have no idea where it is." Massie gathered her things and started away from the table.

"Wait up. I have Art History too. Can I walk with you?" Derrick got up from the table and jogged after Massie, ignoring the sideward glance it earned him from Chris.

"If you want to. Whatever." Massie shrugged her shoulders apathetically and continued walking.

Derrick struggled to keep up with her brisk pace while balancing all his books. "Wow. Don't get too excited."

"Uh huh." Massie nodded distractedly and looked around at the crowded hallway around her.

"So where did you live before Westchester?" Derrick asked curiously.

Massie ignored him and then realized he was talking. "Oh. I didn't realize you said something. I was spacing out. What did you say?"

Derrick chuckled to himself. "I asked where you used to live."

"Oh. California." Massie mumbled. She stopped. "Wait. I thought the art history room was here. But there is no door."

"It's across the hall." Derrick pointed towards the door on the opposite side of the hall and ushered her in.

--

_The sun was starting to set. Massie could feel the warm California night settling over her like a comfy blanket. It was a balmy night, not too cold, not too warm. She looked down. The sand she rested on was sticking between her toes. _

_"Massie." A voice called to her from the waves. Graham bobbed up and down with the tide, beckoning to her. _

_She got up from the deserted bluff and started towards the water. Massie was about to step into the water when someone caught her arm._

_"You don't want to go in there." Derrick's deep brown eyes bored into her own._

_"I do." Massie argued. "Graham is in there. I have to get Graham."_

_"No you don't." Derrick held onto her arm with the same amount of force._

_"I can't just leave him!" Massie cried._

"_You have to." Derrick insisted. _

--

"Hey. Are you okay?" Derrick gave Massie a nudge, knocking her out of her dream.

"Graham." Massie mumbled, barely audible.

"No. Derrick." He corrected her.

"Huh? Oh yeah. Sorry. I was out of it." Massie pulled out her binder and grabbed a pen.

Derrick shook his head and returned to taking notes on German painters in the 1770's. "You sure your okay?"

"I'm fine." Massie took a deep breath. "I'm fine."

**A/N: Yay! An update! So this chapter is mostly setting up things to come, so brace yourself kids. Oh and pray that I have enough initiative to keep writing. Haha. Just kidding. Anyways, review please. : )**


	3. For Blue Skies

**Chapter 2**

_It's been a long year_

_Since we last spoke_

_How's your halo?_

_Just between you and I_

_You and me and the satellites_

_I never believed you_

_I only wanted to_

"_For Blue Skies" Strays Don't Sleep_

Dr. Chbosky tapped her silver pen on the desk, laden with book entitled, 'How to Annihilate Anorexia' and 'Dealing with Depression.' She swiveled her chair around in what she thought was a dramatic way to face Massie head on and get her attention. Massie merely looked bored.

"Massie. This is your third visit here and you haven't said a word except your name. You can't blame m for being worried. I understand if you need time, but you need to get your feelings out. Losing someone close to you is very hard." Dr. Chbosky nodded sincerely and carried on. "Maybe there is someone you could talk to. Or you could write in a journal?"

Massie looked blankly back at her psychologist. There was a time when she would have retorted with some cutting remark about how she wouldn't share her innermost feelings with just anyone, and how journals were a liability and could be found. At the very least she might have made a snide comment about the butterfly embroidery on Dr. Chbosky's lime green maxi-dress. But instead she sat there, silent.

"Okay. You still don't want to talk. Can you please just find a way to get your feelings out in a constructive way?" Dr. Chbosky begged. Massie felt her right eyebrow rising unconsciously at her therapist's pleading.

_Beep. Beep._ Massie attention was drawn away from her therapist's "Bargaining Face" and to the alarm clock that was beeping five o'clock, signifying the end of their session.

Massie grabbed her UC Berkley sweatshirt from off the couch. "See ya, Chbosky."

She liked to leave them confused.

--

"How was your day, honey? Did you enjoy therapy?" Kendra Block asked her eldest daughter in between sips of Perrier.

"Fine." Massie stared at the legumes her mother had heaved on her plate for the purpose of incorporating more fiber into her diet.

"Did you like school, Dyllie?" Kendra turned to her other child who was delicately cutting her chicken.

Dylan's eyes lit up, at the curiosity about her day. "It was so much fun. I made a bunch of friends and I met all of these cute guys! Oh and my teachers totally love me!"

"That's great." Kendra's over-botoxed face broke into some semblance of a smile, or at least an expression that resembled happiness.

Massie shoveled down the remainder of her roast chicken and grabbed her plate. "Can I be excused?"

"I suppose. I was hoping your father would join us for dinner, but I guess it was another late night at the office for him. You can go, just make sure you take your plate into the kitchen and give it to Inez." Kendra sighed, checking her diamond encrusted Rolex.

After giving her dish to Inez in the kitchen, Massie retreated upstairs to her room. She went into her walk in closet and started rummaging through the boxes she hadn't unpacked yet. In the box labeled "Books/Misc School Suppliz," she found an empty composition notebook. She grabbed a pen off her desk and settled onto her bed.

_November 15__th__, 2008_

_This is weird. Awkward. My therapist wants me to "express" myself. She said I could talk to someone or write in a journal. I elected to write in a journal because there is no way in hell I am talking to anyone. So here I am. _

_I am probably supposed to say how I feel. Say I am sad. I'm not. I hate everyone. I hate my parents for having no idea what to do with me and I hate my sister for being so shallow and clueless all the time. I hate Dr. Chbosky for caring. I hate Graham for being gone and leaving me alone. I hate myself for being like this. I don't even recognize myself anymore. I don't even know what the fuck I do all day. I feel like I am standing still and everyone is moving so fast all I can see are blurs. _

_And I want it to stop and I want to bring him back and I know I can't but I wish I could. And I wish I had been there and that I hadn't had been so stupid and…_

Massie's attention was drawn away from her journal and to knocking coming from the door. She slammed the little book shut and shoved it under her pillow.

Dylan opened the door. "Hey."

"Oh. Its you." Massie's shoulder relaxed and she lay back on her bed.

"So what's up?" Dylan shut the door behind her and joined Massie on the bed.

"Uh. Nothing." Massie grabbed a pillow and flopped back on her bed.

Dylan flicked a miniscule piece of lint off the sleeve of her Ella Moss tunic. "So what's your deal?"

Massie shot her a confused look. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You aren't even, like, you anymore!" Dylan crinkled her nose. "Just because your best friend died doesn't mean you have to act like a complete freak twenty four seven."

Massie sat there; jaw hanging at Dylan's outburst. She was used to Dylan saying wildly inappropriate things all the time, but this was bad even for her.

"That came out wrong." Dylan took a deep inhalation and apologized. "Look, I am just saying you need to try and move on. It's what Graham would have wanted."

"You don't know shit." Massie hopped of her bed and grabbed her iPod out of her bag. If Dylan was going to come into her room and talk, she was going to have to talk to herself. Massie was done listening.

After realizing that Massie was completely shutting her out, Dylan sighed and left Massie's room. There was no way she was going to talk to a post. She was one of the most popular girls at her old school, she had better things to do than talk to her crazy sister.

**A/N: Sorry it took me forever. For some reason my teachers think its cool to give tests twice a week in every class so I am studying frantically every night. Ugh. Anyways, please review because it makes me happy!**


End file.
